The Tumultuous Friendship of Sir Francis Knollys and Elizabeth I

by Adrienne Dillard

Published16th November 2015

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About the author

Adrienne Dillard is a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with emphasis in History from Montana State University-Northern.

Adrienne has been an eager student of history for most of her life and has completed in-depth research on the American Revolutionary War time period in American History and the history and sinking of the Titanic. Her senior university capstone paper was on the discrepancies in passenger lists on the ill-fated liner and Adrienne was able to work with Philip Hind of Encyclopedia Titanica for much of her research on that subject.

Her new book, 'Catherine Carey in a Nutshell', was published in October 2015.

The death of Catherine Carey Knollys in January 1569 left a great
void in the hearts of her husband, Francis Knollys, and her cousin,
Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth spent many months after the death of her
devoted kinswoman under a cloud of grief and Francis spent his remaining
years in bachelorhood, never finding anyone who could replace his
beloved wife. Francis’ final letter to the Privy Council from Tutbury,
ten days after Catherine’s death, reads:

My case is pitiful.For my wife
disburdened me of many cares.She kept all the monuments of my public
charges as well as my private accounts and now my children, my servants,
and all other things are loosely left without good order.

Francis retired briefly from court after his wife’s unexpected
death, but it wasn’t long before he was back in the service of
Catherine’s royal cousin. Francis was known for his unwavering loyalty
and dedication to Elizabeth before his wife’s death and it’s possible
that their shared grief united them even more. However, as strong as the
mutual respect and friendship may have been, it is important to
remember that the two didn’t always agree.

In 1571, after his appointment as Treasurer of the Household,
Francis was sent to Parliament to speak on behalf of the Queen on a
matter that was causing heated debate in the House. A tenacious Puritan
faction determined to reform the Book of Common Prayer was met with
Francis’ calm resistance, even though his own religious leanings were
decidedly Puritanical and he sympathised greatly with their demands.
Francis was diplomatic and attempted to sooth the group with assurances
that Elizabeth would agree with them in time and it was not their place
to question the Queen’s motives.The group was unmoved and a reformer
named Strickland, was sequestered for his insolence. Francis may not
have agreed with Elizabeth in these tenuous matters of religion, but he
was steadfast in his defence of her action and he continued to represent
her interests for the remainder of the session.

When Francis returned to Parliament the next year to address the
House’s demand for Mary Stuart’s execution, he and Elizabeth were on the
same page. Francis had spent many months with the Scots Queen, and
while he didn’t agree with her Catholic beliefs, he found her to be
quite extraordinary.Though he was alarmed at by her ‘bloody appetite to shed the blood of her enemies,’ he
was adamant against her execution. At the same time, the Duke of
Norfolk’s life hung in the balance. His treasonous actions with Mary
were to be punished as well. Francis agreed that he should be put to
death, but encouraged the House to allow the Queen time to consider her
decision. Their patience was rewarded a week later when the Duke was
executed the very next Monday. More than a decade later, Francis changed
his views regarding Mary’s execution after the Babington plot
threatened the Queen’s safety.

From the safety of his position of favour, Francis continued to
urge Elizabeth, in private, to listen to her councillors. He questioned
her statesmanship and encouragement of flatterers and, eventually,
became obsessed with her physical safety. In addition, she was notorious
for constantly changing her mind and her inconstancy greatly aggravated
her devoted friend, but regardless of whether or not Francis agreed, he
publicly supported the Queen.

The dynamic friendship between the Queen and her Treasurer began
to degrade around 1578. The marriage of Francis’ impetuous daughter,
Lettice, to Elizabeth’s most beloved and favored courtier, Robert
Dudley, seems to have strained the relationship. Lettice was forever
banned from court and Francis was cautioned that ‘his zeal for religion would cost him dear.’

Francis continued his service to the Crown, pushing for greater
protection for Elizabeth and acting as Colonel-General of footmen at
Tilbury during the attack from the Spanish Armada, but his
dissatisfaction with the Queen’s actions continued to grow. Furious that
Elizabeth allowed the Archbishop of Canterbury to prosecute puritan
preachers, Francis authored a series of articles accusing the Archbishop
of popish tyranny and recklessness towards the Queen’s safety. He then
went a step further and urged the Queen to banish Catholic recusants and
exclude those who had married recusants from public office.

Francis remained at odds with the bishops and marvelled that that
the Queen felt as great a threat from the Protestants as she did from
the Catholics. On 14 May 1591, he declared his intent to retire from
politics, complaining bitterly of Elizabeth’s distrust in him.
Nevertheless, his sense of duty compelled to him to serve in the
Parliament of 1593 and when he died on 19 July 1596, he was still
holding the position of Treasurer of the Household.

As tumultuous as the friendship between Francis and Elizabeth
seems to have been on the surface, the fact that he was allowed to be so
open and frank with his criticism is a testimony to the strength of
their bond. Few people at Elizabeth’s court would have been allowed such
liberties without serious repercussions. Furthermore, she honored him
as a Knight of the Garter even after his angry outburst. Perhaps even
more telling is Francis’ loyalty to a woman that frustrated him to no
end. No matter how much he disagreed with the Queen’s policy, he almost
always defended her actions and, though he threatened to leave her
service on numerous occasions, he never could follow through. Francis
forever remained a loyal servant to his wife’s royal cousin.